Apparatus for gaging and assorting disks of varying thickness



Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet l. M. M. RHODES.

Apparatus for Gaging and Asserting Disks of Varying Thickness. No.231,359. Patented Aug. 17,1880.

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Apparatus for Gaging and Asserting Disks 0f Varying Thickness. No.231,359. Patented Aug. 17,1880.

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N. PEIERS, PNOTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARCUS M. RHODES, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR GAGING AND ASSORTING DISKS 0F VARYING THICKNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,359, dated August1'7, 1880.

Application filed June 4, 1880. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARCUS M. Rnonns, ofTaunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and Improved Method and Apparatus for Gagin g andAssorting Disks of Varying Thickness, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide an automatic device for moreaccurately and economically gaging and assorting disks and planchets ofvarying thickness that are designed for coins, buttons, and otherpurposes.

The invention consists of an improved mechanism for feeding disks orplanchets to gagingcalipers of a sliding spring caliper-bar, the rangeof whose every movement is determined by the thickness of the disk beinggaged, of a group of receiving-tubes reciprocated beneath the calipersby novel mechanism, and of a method of transmitting motion from onecaliper to another and its connections, all of which is hereinafterdescribed.

Figure 1 is a plan of the device. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevationon line 00 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation on line 3 y,Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation on line z 2, Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a sectional. elevation of a portion of the device on line w w,Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents the bed-plate of the device, supported onlegs A. B is the driving-shaft, supported in suitable bearings a a andprovided with driving-pulley B. B is an eccentric secured on the shaftB, and designed to operate the caliper'bar G, that is set at rightangles to said shaft B and slides in suitable supports which arefastened on the top of the bed-plate A, the inner end of saidcaliper-bar 0 being drawn down to a comparatively slender finger, asshown at a.

Opposite the caliper-bar O, and on the same horizontal line therewith,is secured, in suitable supports on the bed-plate A, a correspondin gsliding'cal'iper-bar, D, provided with a spiral spring, D, that is woundaround it, and whose tension is, regulated by the adj ustable collar D,said caliper-bars G D being set so that their inner and smaller ends aredirectly opposite each other and apart from each other enough to admitbetween them the disk or planchet to be gaged.

Fixed on the bed-plate A, at right angles to the caliper-bars G D, andwith one end nearly in contact with the inner ends of said caliperbars GD, is a rectangular box, E, from whose inner end the inclined box-slideE projects up ward to receive and guide the disks or planchets that areto be gaged. Adjusted longitudinally in this box E is the shuttle F,provided with a projecting finger, f, that, when the device is inoperation, operates to carry the disks or planchets forward between thecaliper-bars. A spring, E, in the bottom of the box E serves to keepsaid shuttle F always on a proper level for its work. The rear end ofsaid shuttle F extends beyond the box E, and is provided with a verticalpin, d, and a spiral spring, F, stretched between said pin cl and thepin 9 on the box E, serves to urge the said shuttle F forward after eachbackward movement.

E represents a slide or cover closing the side opening in the box E atthe point where the disks or planchets fall into the finger of theshuttle F, it being designed to open said cover E for convenience ofremoving any planchets that may by chance become jammed at said point.This shuttle F is retracted by means of the cam-lever G, whose free endengages against the pin d, and whose other end engages in the eccentricgroove h of the cocentric G, which is keyed on the end of thedriving-shaft B, said lever Gbeing fulcrumed at i on the bed-plate A, asshown.

H is a lever fulcrumed at on the bed-plate A, with its short arm incontact with the adjustable set-screw c, that is fixed in the end of thecaliper-bar D, while the other arm of said lever H is drawn to a pointthat enters an end of the spring-actuated sliding bar I, which issecured in suitable supports on the face of the bed-plate A parallelwith the caliper-bar D, said bar I being encircled by a spiral spring,I, and having a stud or pin, l, projecting laterally from its inner end.

The pawl K, that moves in a vertical plane, is pivoted to a standard, K,so that it rests upon the pin lof the bar I, and so that its point shallengage beneath the pawl L, that is pivoted at right angles to the pawlK, and is held down by a spring, L.

Parallel with the shuttle F is a slide-bar, M, provided with a verticalpin, a, movable in the direction of its length in the boxes m, and onone side of this bar M is fastened a series of steps, M, correspondingin number with the number of thicknesses desired in the disks orplanchets that are to be assorted.

M is a leg of the slide-bar M, projecting downward through a slot in thebed-plate A,

and having its lower end connected with the face-plate N by means of thehorizontal connecting-rod N, said face-plate N being secured on theinnerend of the rocking shaft N, which is journaled in suitable boxesbeneath the bedplate A and at right angles to the connectingrod N. Aspiral spring, N, is made fast at one end to the pivot that holds therod N to the face-plate N, while its other end is secured on a pin, 0,so that by its tension said spring N shall assist in retracting the saidrod N and plate N after each forward motion.

Upon the face of the plate N are arranged a series of tubes, 0, havingadjustable extensions 0, corresponding in number with the number ofsteps M, or the number of grades into which the disks or planchets areto be assorted, and said tubes 0 have their mouths projected slightly upthrough the slot 1 in the bed-plate A, just beneath the opposing pointsof the caliper-bars I), so that the disks or planchets released by saidcaliper-bars (J I) shall fall directly into whichever of the tubes 0 maythen be in position to receive them. A double spring, Q, fixed on thebed-plate A, and extending over the mouths of the tubes 0, operates toguide the disks or planchets that are gaged into their proper tubes. Themachine being put in motion, the disks or planchets are fed by suitablemechanism into the inclined box-slide E, at the bottom of which thefirst disk is engaged by the shuttle F, which is moved forward for thispurpose by the spring F. The said shuttle, with its finger f, carriesthe disk forward between the ends of the caliper-bars O l), which bars 0I), being brought together by the action of the cam B against the outerend of the caliper-bar C, take said disk from the said shuttle, whichlatter then is made to reccde by the engagement of the end of thecam-lever (l against the pin (1. The pressure of thecam B beingcontinuedagainst the barU, and the disk to be gaged being pressed between theends of the two bars C D, motion is thereby imparted to the springcaliper-bar I), which, in turn, communicates motion through theset-screw e to the lever II. This motion is multiplied at the longer armof the lever 11, and is thereby imparted to the spring-actuated slidingbar 1, which, in turn, by means of the pin I, engages the pawl K, andthrows said pawl K forward and upward to engage and raise the pawl L toa height proportionate to the thickness of the disk being gaged. In themeantime the rotation of the driving-shaft B has imparted motion to thelever (l, the longer end of which engages against the pin a of theslide-barM and moves said bar longitudinally parallel with theshuttle-boX E. Upon one side of this slide-bar M a series of steps, M,are fastened, corresponding in mnnber to the number of grades into whichthe disks are to be assorted.

The motion of the slide-bar M is transmitted, by means of the leg M andconnecting-rod N, to the faceplate N, and hence motion is given to thetubes 0, that correspond in number with the number of steps M, andconsequently with the number of grades of disks required.

The pawl L having been raised to a height corresponding to the thicknessof the disk being gaged, the lever G now receding, the bar M alsorecedes until one of the steps M is engaged by said pawl L, and by thesame motion of said slide-bar M the face-plate N is moved so as to bringthe tube 0 corresponding with the interposed step M immediately beneaththe ends of the caliper-bars O D, where said bars are parted, so thatthe gaged disk or planehet drops into said tube 0, and is conveyed toits proper receptacle through a tube, 0. The machine is now ready torepeat the operation.

It will be seen that motion is transmitted from the caliper-rod O to thecaliper-rod D and its connections by the interposition of a disk orplanehet between the said caliperrods, and that the thickness of thedisk being pressed by the caliper-rod 0 against the caliper-rod Ddetermines and regulates the height to which the pawl L is raised, inorder to engage the steps M, and that thereby the tubes 0 are presentedin proper order to receive and assort the disks.

The steps and tubes are not restricted to three in number, as hereinshown, but may be of any number desired, provided there be the samenumber of one as of the other.

Having thus fully described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A machine for gaging and assorting disks ofmetal or other material, constructed substantially as herein shown anddescribed, consisting of the box-slide E, moving shuttle F, providedwith finger f, lever G, caliper-bars U D, lever II, sliding bar I, pawlsK L, sliding bar M, steps M, connecting-rod N, faceplate N, and tubes 0,as set forth.

2. In a gaging and assorting machine, the slide-bar M, series of stepsM, connecting-rod N, and face-plate N, provided with tubes 0,substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In a gaging and assorting machine, the combination, with the shuttleF, slide-bar M, provided with steps M, and face-plate N, pro vided withtubes 0, of thelever G and cam or eccentric G, substantially as hereinshown and described, whereby said shuttle, bar, steps, plate, and tubesare operated, as set forth.

4. In a gaging and assorting machine, the shuttle F, provided withfinger f, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. In a gaging and assorting machine, the combination, with the slidingcaliper-bar O, of the sliding caliper-bar 1), provided with spring D andadjustable set-screw a, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The combination, with the caliper-bars (J D, lever H, sliding bar I,and pawls K L, of the cam B, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, whereby said parts are moved, as set forth.

7. In a gaging and assorting machine, the method herein described ofdetermining and 15 regulating the height to which the pawl L is raisedin order to engage the steps M, and thereby present the tubes 0 inproper order to receive and assort the disks or planchets, whichconsistsininterposinga disk or planchet 20 between the caliper-bars ofthe machine, substantially as set forth.

MARCUS MORTON RHODES.

\Vitnesses:

ANDREW S. BRIGGS, J. ALFRED MESSINGER.

